Vibratory finishing machine



Sept- 2, 1969 A. K. FERRARA 3,464,163

VIBRATORY FTNISHING MACHINE Filed oct. 26, 196e s Sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1969 A, K. FERRARA 3,464,163

VIBHATORY FINI SHING MACHINE /ejz for QU/fle fa/franz Sept- 2, 1969 A. K. FERRARA 3,464,163

VIBRATORY FINISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1966 i 3 Sheets-Sheet S 104106 F-k-- j02 w//en fof c/yi/Ze ff Ferrara United States Patent O 3,464,163 VIBRATORY FINISHING MACHINE Achille K. Ferrara, 1941 72nd Court, Elmwood Park, Ill. 60635 Filed Get. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 589,662 lut. Cl. B24b 19/00, 31 00 U.S. Cl. 51.-7 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE ln a vibratory finishing machine of the type having a stationary supporting frame, a vibratory drum containing finishing media, and drive means for imparting vibratory motion to said drum, there are provided a fixture for carrying workpieces to be finished by the finishing media contained within the drum and fixture supporting means for supporting the fixture for rotation about a horizontal axis. The fixture supporting means is supported by the stationary supporting frame independently of the drum for pivotal movement of the fixture supporting means about a horizontal axis between an operative position wherein the fixture is substantially submerged in the finishing media contained within the drum and an inoperative position wherein the fixture is removed from the media. In one form of the invention, drive means are provided for positively rotating the fixture while the fixture is substantially submerged in the finishing media contained within the drum. Preferably, the last-mentioned drive means is adapted to positively rotate the fixture at varying speeds higher and lower than the speed of movement of the media.

The present invention relates to a vibratory finishing machine of the type including a vibrating tub or drum containing a polishing media and in which various types of metallic and other articles or workpieces may be disposed for the purpose* of polishing, deburring or otherwise finishing such articles. More specifically, the invention relates to a vibratory finishing machine including an improved fixture for supporting a plurality of workpieces in spaced apart relation in the polishing media contained in the vibrating drum of the machine in order to effect finishing of such workpieces.

Finishing machines including a vibrating drum containing polishing media have been in use for many years for polishing, deburring or otherwise finishing a variety of metallic and other articles. The polishing media may comprise any suitable abrasive agent such as granite, aluminum oxide, sand, chipped marble or various other polishing agents. In accordance with one common procedure, the workpieces to be polished are loosely disposed within the vibrating drum in a mixture with the polishing media and are thus polished by the constant frictional rubbing against the media caused by vibration of the drum. However, in many cases the foregoing procedure is unsatisfactory because of the damage which can be caused to the workpieces due to their constant abutting against one another. This is particularly true where relatively large heavy workpieces are being polished, since when they 3,464,163 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 one or more depending arms on which a plurality of work-pieces are rigidly affixed. The fixture is then secured to the top of the vibrating drum or tub so that the arms extend down into the interior of the drum and rigidly hold the workpieces submerged in the polishing media. However, there are several disadvantages inherent in the foregoing procedure, one being that in order to achieve uniform polishing of the workpieces it is necessary to reverse the drive means and thereby reverse the direction of movement of the vibrating media within the drum. Thus, as the drum vibrates, it produces a revolving motion of the media simultaneously with the vibration thereof. Viewing the drum in side elevation, the media moves in a generally circular motion down a first side of the drum, across to a second side, up the second side, across to the first side, etc. For the foregoing reason, a Workpiece which is disposed within the polishing media in the drum and held rigid relative to the drum tends to be polished more completely on the front side or side against which the media engages as the latter revolves in thedrum, with insufiicient polishing being effected on other exposed surfaces. In order to solve this problem, it is generally necessary to first run the drive motor in one direction for a given period of time, and then reverse the drive motor for a similar period of time so as to cause the media to rotate first in one direction and subsequently in the opposite direction, thereby achieving `generally uniform polishing of the articles.

Another disadvantage in the use of a fixturel as abovedescribed is that the fixture is mounted directly on the vibrating drum or tub and for this reason adds appreciably to the load on the motor which drives the mechanism for vibrating the drum, generally necessitating'use of a larger motor than would otherwise be required. Moreover, because the fixture is rigidly affixed to the drum, it vibrates in the same manner as the drum so as to reduce the friction between the workpieces carried by the fixture and the polishing media, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the media. Another problem in the use of fixtures of the foregoing known type is the time and effort involved in attaching the fixture to the drum or tub at the beginning of a polishing operation, at which time the depending arms or the like which carry the articles must be forced down into the polishing media in the drum, and thereafter removing the fixture from the drum at the completion of the polishing operation. Because of the several difficulties mentioned above, many articles, for example, golf club heads, plumbing fixtures and a great variety of other articles, are still finished by means of expensive and time-consuming hand buffing operations.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a vibratory finishing machine having an improved fixture associated therewith which holds workpieces to be polished in spaced apart relation in the poli-Shing media contained within the vibrating drum or tub of the machine and yet avoids the foregoing problems heretofore encountered with such fixtures and permits automatic finishing of a large variety of articles which have heretofore customarily been finished by a hand bufiing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vibratory finishing machine including an improved workpieceholding fixture which permits uniform finishing of the workpieces without the necessity of reversing the direction of movement of the vibrating mechanism during the finishing operation.

A further one of my objects is to provide an improved 'finishing machine as least above-mentioned 'where the workpiece-holding fixture is mounted completely independently of the vibrating drum so as not to vibrate with the drum and thereby increase the effectiveness of the polishice ing media while at the same time permitting use of a relatively small motor for imparting vibratory motion to the drum.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a vibratory finishing machine having an improved workpiece-holding fixture which is unu-sually simple to move to an operative position for disposing the workpieces in the polishing media contained within the vibrating drum, and to an inoperative position for removing the articles from the media and permitting attachment of new articles to the fixture.

In furtherance of the foregoing objects, I provide a vibratory finishing machine including a fixture which is supporting completely independently of the vibratory drum or tub containing the polishing media, such as from a stationary frame portion of the machine. Moreover, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, I provide a fixture including a floating type workpiece supporting member which maintains the workpieces in predetermined spaced apart relation relative to one another and yet permits the workpieces to move around the drum with the media so as to effect substantially increased uniformity of finishing on all exposed surfaces of the workpieces. Since the media tends to revolve or fiow in a circular path within the vibrating drum as hereinabove described, I provide a rotatable fixture or workpiece-holding member which permits the workpieces being polished to revolve in the drum along wtih the polishing media. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the rotatable workpiece-carrying member is disposed within the media in the drum and is rotated solely by the movement of the media itself, as the latter engages against the workpieces, without the use of any external drive means for rotating the fixture. The foregoing embodiment is normally preferred where it is desired to provide uniform finishing of all exposed surfaces of the workpieces.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, I provide a. rotatable fixture as described above which is supported independently of the vibratory drum and which supports the workpieces in spaced apart relation in the media, and in combination therewith I provide drive means for positively rotating, the fixture in a selected direction. Thus, where it is desired to polish the leading surfaces of the workpieces the xture may be rotated in the direction of the media but at a speed greater than the rotary shifting movement of the media. On the other hand, where it is desired to polish the opposite surfaces of the workpieces, the fixture may be rotated at a speed slower than 4the rotational ow of the media, or in some instances may be rotated in a direction opposite to the flow f the polishing media within the drum.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description thereof.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of making and using my invention, I shall describe, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the best mode contemplated by me of carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a vibratory finishing machine equipped with a floating type rotatable article-holding fixture constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the fixture being shown in solid lines in operative position for holding workpieces submerged in polishing media contained within la vibrating drum, and being shown in dash lines in an inoperative position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section view, partly in elevation, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, looking approximately in the direction of the Iarrows 3-3 of FIGURE` 1, showing the article-holding fixtures when pivoted back into its inverted inoperative position;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a vibratory finishing machine constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein drive means is provided for positively rotating a workpiece-carrying fixture which is submerged in polishing media contained within a vibrating drum; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, take nsubstantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring |now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURES 1-3, there is shown a vibratory finishing machine 20 which is equipped with an improved workpieceholding fixture indicated generally at 22. The finishing machine 20 comprises a rigid stationary supporting frame 24 including a plurality of vertical legs 26 interconnected at their upper ends by a plurality of cross members 28 and intermediate their ends by brace members 30. A platform or plate 32 is secured to two of the vertical legs 26, and a drive motor 34 is mounted on the platform 32 and connected by means of an endless belt 36 to a vibratory mechanism indicated generally at 38.

A vibrating table indicated generally at 40 comprises a pair of channel-shaped horizontal legs 42 and 44 interconnected at one end by a cross beam 46. The table 40 is supported above the frame 24 by four vertically disposed coil springs 48, one spring being positioned at each corner of the table so that each spring extends between a respective end of one of the channels 42 and 44 down to the top of the supporting frame member. In this manner, the table 40 is mounted on the frame 24 so as to be free to vibrate vertically and laterally relative to the latter. The vibrating table 40 includes a pair of upright standards 50 and 52 (see FIGURE 2) provided at their upper ends with split bearings 54 and 56, respectively. A drum or tub 58 comprises an arcuate wall member 60 and a pair of substantially flat side lwalls 62 and 64, and the side walls have a pair of stub shafts 66 `and 68 affixed thereto. The stub shafts `66 and 68 are supported in the split bearings 54 and S6 and the latter are tightened to lock the drum in a selected `pivotal position relative to the table 40. In this manner, the drum or tub 58 is rigidly mounted to the table member 40 for vibratory motion with the latter.

The vibratory mechanism 38, which will only be briefiy described herein, comprises a shaft 70 having a counterweight 72 affixed thereto and which is driven from the endless belt 36 by means of a pulley 74. The shaft 70 carries a pair of eccentric collars (not shown), one at each end, and the eccentric collars impart vibration to a pair of plate members 76 and 78 which are fixed to the table 40. The rotation of the shaft 70 by the drive motor 34 thus causes a vibratory motion to be imparted through the plates 76 and 78 to the spring-mounted table 40 and to the drum or tub 58 which is mounted thereon. The drum 58 contains a polishing media, for example, a plurality of small grinding stones 80, and the vibration of the drum 58 causes the mass of grinding stones or the like to move within the drum in a generally circular motion down one side of the arcuate plate 60, across and up the other side, back to the first side, etc., such movement being clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 1. It will further be seen from FIGURE 1 that the mass of polishing media 80 tends to build up to a greater height on the side where it climbs or moves upwardly, and then falls off to a lesser height` on the side `where it moves generally downwardly.

The vibratory finishing machine 20 has been partially described herein primarily to illustrate the utility of the novel workpiece-holding fixture member 22 of the present invention which will be described hereinbelow. The machine 20 is substantially known in the fart, and for a more complete description thereof reference may be had to my earlier U.S. Patent 3,134,207, issued May 26, 1964, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Referring now to the fixture 22 of the present invention as illustrated in FIGURES 1-3, there are shown a pair of upright support legs 82 and 84 which are Ibolted or otherwise afiixed at their lower ends to the rigid stationary supporting frame 24 of the finishing machine 20, and which at their upper ends carry a fixture platform 86. The fixture platform 86 is connected at one end to the upper ends of the legs 82 and 84 by hinge means indicated at 88 so that the platform is pivotally movable between the solid line and dash line positions of FIGURE l. When the fixture platform 86 is moved to its operative position shown in solid lines, the underside of the platform abuts against a vertically adjustable stop screw 89 which is carried by one of the arm members 82, 84 so ,as to stop the platform in a generally horizontal position spaced above the drum 58. Similarly, when the platform 86 is pivoted to its inoperative position shown in dash lines, the top of the platform engages against a fixed stop 90 so as to hold the platform in a generally horizontal limiting position inverted relative to its operative position.

The fixture platform `86 has a pair of arms 92 and 94 fixedly secured thereto so as to project generally perpendicular to the plane of the platform, and the ends of the arms 92 and 94 each carry one end of a horizontal shaft 96. The shaft 96 is rotatable and in the embodiment being described carries -a pair of disc-shaped fixtures or mounting members 98 and 100 which are thus freely rotatable about the horizontal axis of the shaft. The rotatable fixtures y98 and 100 are intended to carry Iworkpieces to be finished in the polishing media 80, and in the particular application illustrated there are a plurality of golf club heads W secured to the outer side of each of the discshaped fixtures 98 and 100 in circumferentially spaced relation thereon. The workpieces W are removably secured to the fixtures 98 and 100 in a rigid manner so as to be rotatable therewith about the horizontal axis of the shaft 96 when a driving force is applied thereto. It will be Iunderstood that the number of rotatable workpiece-holding fixtures carried on the shaft 96 may be varied as desired, and the golf club heads W are illustrated merely as one example of any number of different types of articles or workpieces which may be polished by removably attaching the same to the fixtures 98 and 100 for rotation therewith, as will be described more fully hereinbelow.

In operation, the fixture platform 86 is initially disposed in its inoperative inverted position as shown in dash lines in FIGURE l so that the arms 92 and 94 project upwardly and support the rotatable fixtures 98 and 100 above the platform. A plurality of workpieces W to be finished are removable attached to each of the fixtures 98 and 100 in a rigid manner so as to be rotatable With the fixtures about the horizontal axis of the shaft 96. The motor 34 is started so as to impart vibratory motion to the spring-mounted table 40 and the drum 58 mounted thereon, thereby causing the polishing media 80 within the drum to vibrate and at the same time move within the drum in a generally circular manner, i.e., clockwise as viewed in FIGURE l. The platform 86 is then pivoted in a clockwise direction about the hinge 88 as viewed in FIGURE l so that the fixtures 98 and 100 with the workpieces W secured thereto rest on the top of the mass of polishing media 80 in the drum 58. The platform 86 may be urged downwardly until it reaches its limiting generally horizontal operative position as shown in solid lines wherein the fixtures 98 and 100 and the workpieces W mounted thereon will be substantially submerged in the media 80. However, it should be understood that because of the vibration and generally clockwise shifting movement of the media 80 within the drum 58, and because of the ability of the article-holding fixtures 98 and 100 to rotate freely about a horizontal axis, little or no downward force is required to lower the platform 86 to its operative horizontal position because the fixtures and workpieces will tend to be slowly drawn down into the media.

With the platform 86 in its operative position so that the fixtures 98 and 100 and workpieces W are substantially submerged in the media 80, the fixtures and workpieces will rotate in a clockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 96, the fixtures and workpieces being driven solely by the media as the latter engages against the workpieces and moves in a generally circular clockwise motion in the drum 58. The fixtures 98 and 100 are thus in effect of a fioating type and permit the workpieces W to move in a circular path conjointly with the media 80. For this reason, all exposed surfaces of the workpieces W are substantially uniformly polished without necessity for reversing the direction of the drive motor 34 as has normally been required in the polishing machines heretofore known. In addition, it will be noted that the fixture platform 86 is mounted from the rigid stationary frame 24 completely independently of the vibrating table 40 and drum 58. Accordingly, no unnecessary load is placed on the motor 34 as would occur if the fixture were supported on the top of the vibrating drum 58, and the fixture 22 is moved between its operative and inoperative positions by simply pivoting the same without need for fastening the fixture to the drum 58 and thereafter releasing the fixture after each operation. Moreover, because the rotatable workpiece-holding fixtures 98 and 100 are supported independently of the drum 58, they do not vibrate with the drum, and as a result substantially increased frictional contact occ-urs between the workpieces W and the vibrating media 80 thereby increasing the polishing action of the latter.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 4 and 5 which illustrate an alternative embodiment of the present invention and wherein parts common to the embodiment of FIGURES 1-3 are indicated by corresponding primed reference numerals. In the embodiment of FIGURES 4 and 5, there is provided a gear motor or motor and speed reducer indicated generally at 102 having a motor pulley 104 for driving a V-belt or the like 106. The motor 102 is fixedly mounted on the top of the platform 86 and acts through the belt 106 to drive a large diameter pulley 108 which is mounted on a shaft 110, the latter being supported from a housing 112 which is also fixedly mounted to the platform 86. A small diameter chain sprocket 114 is also mounted on the shaft 110 for rotation therewith, and an endless chain 116 is trained over the sprocket 114 and extends downwardly into the drum 58 so as to be trained over a second sprocket 118 which is fixed on the rotatable fixture shaft 96.

The housing 112 includes a cover member 120 which completely encloses the two sprockets 114 and 118 and the drive chain 116 so as to protect the same. The cover member 120 extends down into the drum 58 and thus prevents the polishing media 80' from contacting the chain 116 or related drive components. In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the fixture shaft 96 is supported by the arms 92' and 94 which extend downwardly from the platform 86'. However, it will be understood that, if desired, the chain cover 120 may be utilized to support one end of the shaft 96' thereby eliminating the arm 92'.

The operation of the vibratory finishing machine shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 is the same as the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 3 except that the motor 102 drives the chain 116 in order to positively rotate the fixture shaft 96', rather than rely upon the rotary shifting movement of the media 80 to rotate the workpiece-carrying fixture. In applications where it is desired to provide substantially uniform polishing of all exposed surfaces of the workpieces, the motor may be driven so as to rotate the fixture in the same direction as the movement of the media 80', i.e., in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4, approximately at the speed of the media. On

the other hand, a higher or lower speed may be desired in certain instances. For example, Where it is desired primarily to polish the leading surfaces of the workpieces W, the motor may be driven so as to rotate the shaft 96' and fixtures 98 and 100' in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4 at a greater speed than the movement of the media 80'. Moreover, it is desired primarily to polish the trailing surfaces of the workpieces, the motor 102 may be driven so as to rotate the fixtures 98 and 100' at a speed slower than the movement of the media, or, if desired, even in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4 opposite to the direction of rotary shifting movement of the media. Accordingly, the motor 102 may be a variable speed motor, or conventional speed changing mechanism may be associated with the belt 106 and related pulley drive components so as to permit adjustment of the speed at which the fixture shaft 96' is driven.

It should be understood that the particular pulley and chain drive arrangement described hereinabove is merely one example of a suitable means for imparting positive rotation to the workpiece-carrying fixture. Various other drive arrangements may be utilized. By Way of example, the drive chain 116 may be replaced by a drive shaft which acts through a worm gear or bevel gears to drive the fixture shaft 96.

While I have described my invention in certain preferred forms, l do not intend to be limited to such forms, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since modifications coming within the scope of my invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art, particularly with my disclosure before them.

I claim:

1. In a vibratory finishing machine of the type having a stationary supporting frame, a vibratory drum containing finishing media, and drive means for imparting vibratory motion to said drum, the improvement comprising, in combination, a fixture for carrying workpieces to be finished by the finishing media contained within said drum, and fixture supporting means for supporting said fixture for rotation about a horizontal axis, said fixture supporting means being supported by said stationary supporting frame independently of said drum for pivotal movement of said fixture supporting means about a horizontal axis between an operative position wherein said fixture is substantially submerged in the finishing media contained within said drum and an inoperative position wherein said fixture is removed from said media.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said fixture is adapted to be rotated solely by the movement of the finishing media contained within the drum as said media engages said fixture and the workpieces carried thereby.

3. The improvement of claim 2 further comprising fixture platform means for carrying said fixture supporting means and said fixture, said fixture platform means being pivotally connected to said stationary supporting frame independently of said drum for pivotal movement of said fixture platform means between an operative position wherein said fixture platform means extends generally horizontally over said bowl and said fixture is substantially submerged in the finishing media contained within said bowl and an inoperative position wherein said fixture is removed from said media.

4. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising drive means for positively rotating said fixture while said xture is substantially submerged in the finishing media contained within said bowl.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said lastmentioned drive means is adapted to positively rotate said fixture at varying speeds higher and lower than the speed of movement of the media.

6. The improvement of claim 4 further comprising fixture platform means for carrying said fixture supporting means and said fixture, said fixture platform means being pivotally connected to said stationary supporting frame independently of said drum for pivotal movement of said fixture platform means between an operative position wherein said fixture platform means extends generally horizontally over said bowl and said fixture is substantially submerged in the finishing media contained within said bowl and an inoperative position wherein said fixture is removed from said media.

7. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said lastmentioned drive means comprises, in combination, an electric motor mounted on said fixture platform means, and connecting means for connecting said motor with said fixture so as to positively rotate said fixture.

8. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said lastmentioned drive means is reversible.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,218,353 10/ 1940 Gruenberg 51-7 2,735,232 2/ 1956 Simjian 51--7 3,371,449 3/1968 Olson 51-7 X FOREIGN PATENTS 841,723 7/ 1960 Great Britain.

HAROLD D. WHITEHEAD, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 51-19, 163 

